Boned, Rolled, and Braised Breast of Veal, Spanish-Style

When a breast of veal is boned, stuffed, and rolled, it's a little less messy, a little easier for everyone to handle. It can also be cut into thinner, more delicate portions, making it easier to serve more people from one breast of veal. This delicious, chorizo-stuffed breast is great with garlicky roast potatoes or rice flavored with saffron. Serves 8

Directions:

Ask your butcher to bone the veal breast, yielding a wide, flat piece of meat that weighs approximately 2 pounds. Ask the butcher to give you the bones as well. Let the veal breast come to room temperature.

Prepare the stuffing: Place the milk and the fresh bread crumbs in a saucepan. Bring to boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture is very thick. Place in mixing bowl. Remove chorizo casings, and mince half the chorizo very finely. Cut the other half into medium dice. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of sausage meat. Add to mixing bowl. Sauté the 1/4 cup chopped onion in the butter over moderately high heat until the onion starts to turn soft, about 5 minutes. Add to mixing bowl along with the egg. Beat vigorously and season with salt and pepper.

Place the boned veal breast, cut side up, on a counter, making a rectangle with the long side directly in front of you. Season with salt and pepper. About one third of the way past the bottom edge of the rectangle, the edge that's nearer you, spread out the stuffing in a long mound, working from left to right. (Do not allow the stuffing to come to the left or right edges of the boned veal; the stuffing mound should start and end about 1 inch from the left and right edges of the veal.) Grab the bottom edge, the one that's closest to you, and roll it away from you, over the stuffing, rolling until you reach the top edge. You will now have a cylindrical, stuffed roast. Tie it well at the two ends to prevent stuffing from oozing out, and tie it at 2-inch intervals to make sure the flap stays closed during cooking. Season well with salt and pepper, and coat lightly with flour.

You will need a very large pan to cook the breast; it's about a foot-and-a-half long, and you will need a pan with high sides to accommodate the braising liquid. A deep, very heavy-gauge roasting pan is probably your best choice. Brush the pan with olive oil and place it over moderately high heat. Place 4 or 5 veal bones in the pan along with the quartered onions, carrots, and green peppers. Sauté until the vegetables start to brown, about 10 minutes. Make a space in the center of the pan, increase the heat to high, and place the rolled veal breast in the pan. Brown on all sides (this will take about 10 minutes). Then, add enough white wine and beef stock (using equal amounts of each) to the pan until the liquid comes halfway up the side of the veal breast. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and bring to a bare simmer. Cover with a lid or with aluminum foil. Cook on top of the stove, or in a preheated 325 degrees oven, checking the liquid to make sure it's gently simmering, for 3 hours.

When the breast is done, remove from the pan, place on a cutting board, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil to keep warm. Taste the braising liquid; if it needs to be intensified, boil it until it is reduced to the desired consistency and season it. (We like to serve it as it is, with the remains of the braising vegetables strewn over slices of the veal breast.)

When ready to serve, remove the strings, then cut veal breast into 1-inch slices. Serve immediately with sauce.